Lake County Sheriff

The Lake County Sheriff's Office is the primary criminal law enforcement agency for Lake County, working with other law enforcement agencies based in Lake County including the Oregon State Police, Lakeview Police, Bureau of Land Management Rangers, and Forest Service Law Enforcement.

Full law enforcement services are provided by the Sheriff's Office.

Civil Division - Provides legal document service, concealed handgun licensing, and other civil services. Civil division is staffed by one full time employee who is assisted by the Corrections and Criminal Divisions.

Corrections Division - Maintains custody and corrections service in a jail within the Courthouse. Transport of prisoners about the state and sometimes as port of entry for extraditions from out of state is accomplished by corrections personnel. Jail services are provided around the clock although inmate visitation is a narrow window. Citizen fingerprinting (such as for job applications) can be accomplished by the jail staff after being first arranged through the Civil Division.

Criminal Division - Provides services of crime suppression and criminal investigation. Seven career deputies, including an ATV/off-road enforcement deputy, provide service to nearly 8,500 square miles, an area about the size of New Jersey. Additionally, Lake County borders Nevada and California whose adjoining rural counties sometimes see Lake County law enforcement as the initial response because of the shared remoteness. Additional investigative support to Lake County is offered by detectives from the Oregon State Police in Klamath Falls. Crime lab support is from the Oregon State Police. Criminal Division services are not 24 hours a day although emergencies and priorities will result in a Deputy being called from off duty. The primary Sheriff's Office is in the Courthouse in Lakeview. A substation serving the needs of north county is based in the government annex building in Christmas Valley. Sheriff Reserves provide additional support.

Search and Rescue - Citizen volunteers, often providing their own equipment, provide search and rescue services for the Sheriff's Office. Many members maintain their own specialty including aircraft operation and air scent dogs. During recent years, in addition to traditional searches for missing persons, SAR has been used for deceased recovery, crime scene search, and mutual aid with adjoining and nearby counties.

Because of the vastness of the county and inaccessibility of services, the Sheriff's Office attempts to provide as much information and service as possible through it's website, www.lakecountysheriff.us.